Way to represent, Portland! At the Nats v. Venezuela 3/28 you Timbers fans showed up in force to support the USA! Good job!
Too bad many of you get drunk, argued with ushers, chanted foul language in front of children...and more.

But really, the FINAL straw was chanting "Sounders Suck" in our beautiful new 400 million dollar state of the art soccer venue.

Not very creative...and quite frankly, wrong! Check your Timbers-Sounders history and you will see who blows and who shows.

When Seattle fans chanted back "Portland is minor-league! Portland is minor-league" we came closer to the actual truth.
Hey, by the way, that one Timber-guy's response was classic: After realizing that it was TRUE, he gasped and then yelled "F**K Off and Die."

Good one.

It's been almost two days and nobody has taken the bait, so I'll chip in with my comments:

* I was glad to see a good turnout from Portland to support the nats.

* If many of them were drunk, it shows that they know the proper way to enjoy a match!

* Chanting foul language in front of children? This wasn't the first and it won't be the last match where the hardcore supporters mix some four-letter words into their chants. If I'm a parent and I don't want my kids to hear foul language, I sure won't sit near the supporters groups! Near the SE corner flag, I didn't hear a foul word all day, not even from the players.

* The Timbers fans did show increased sensitivity, compared to their actions at USA-Honduras in the Safe, by setting up separate from the Sams Army section.
* It's just words. Let it run off you like rain off a Gore-Tex parka. What matters most is what happens on the pitch!

* The biggest point of debate seems to be whether or not it is appropriate for Timbers fans to hang out their club colors and scarves at a USA match. When I travel to Portland or elsewhere to support the nats, it's a red shirt and a USA scarf, and Sounders gear are left behind. Many fans feel strongly that country is above club. The Timbers scarves didn't bother me, but your mileage may vary.

I didn't hear any of the "Sounder suck" or "Portland is minor league" stuff, so I'll pass on that. I did see a number of Portland people with club jerseys and/or scarves, which IMHO should have been left home (or at least in the car until the match is over). We're all there to support USA, why bring club crap into it? It only serves to DIVIDE us all, and as we saw with the aforementioned chants that had nothing to do with USA. Things like this just leave long memories and make it harder to work together in the future... Part of me hopes we don't have another USA match in the NW for a while... didn't see any of this "club over country" stuff going on in DC when I went to a WC 2002 qualifier v. Guatemala.

I don't have a problem with banners being hung such as the Timbers Army one. That should have been enough to let people in the stadium and TV viewers know you were in the house.

Yeah you are there to support the U.S.A and soccer in that nation.

Many england fans are thugs, but unite (not always for the good) with the local teams names on the saint georges flag.

Flag and shirts mean nothing, it's the people that wave them and wear them that make the difference.

I'll admit the first half was slow and choppy...but when you have time to deride the host club...are you really supporting the USA as well as you could?

And as for beer: Drinking is fun/fine. Getting drunk, or drinking to the point that you can't even complete the cheers you've started...what's so great about that?

Maybe they were playing "Quarters" during the first half???

You guys need to get over yourselves. There's nothing wrong with wearing club jerseys at a national team game, the club plays in the US right? Even if that's not the case, it shows that your a soccer supporter. Not everybody wants to rush out and buy an international jersey to watch a game so they wear what they normally wear.

As for chanting against the hosts, it's a rivalry - club rivalries often transcend the national team because your club plays 28+ games per season, you just have to learn to deal with it.

English Fan,

I don't think anyone was asking that everyone wear "international jerseys" -- I didn't wear one. I think the point was that everyone should have a red (or failing that, a blue/white) T-shirt or something along those lines already in their possession.

The problem with club gear is that inevitably someone on either or both sides of a rivalry takes offense, starts something, and then there you go on some other tangent other than supporting your country. It's happened in other venues besides Seattle, which is why (at least on the East Coast) people have been strongly discouraged from wearing it to USA matches.

You have the right to your opinion, and in an ideal world, people would let it slide and it wouldn't be a big deal -- and people would put club rivalries on the back burner for 90 minutes. In actual practice though, this rarely happens -- case in point last Saturday.

OK. I'm ready to give the Timbers Army this: had it been an important (qualifying) match for USA I imagine the name "Sounders" would likely never have crossed their little green lips.
I only posted, really, to show the PASSION Portlanders have for this rivalry. It's a bigger thing for them than it is for us, it seems.

Well, talk with some long-time Sounders Supporters and you will see a history of anger between the two sets of supporters which began in Soccer Bowl '77. It was Seattle Vs. The NY Cosmos and Pele for the NASL Cup. The game was played in Portland. Over 30,000 fans packed the stadium. The local Portland fans...decided to root for the Cosmos. Well, not nice, but OK.
But they took it the next step by getting on Sounders fans, mocking Seattle players, making the atmosphere hostile. My best friend gets high blood pressure to this day when I bring up the game.

Is that "passion?" Could be.
Is that part of soccer? In England.
Should we "get over it?" Well, what do we have memories for?????

Finally, can ANYONE rationalize drinking too much and losing your self control in a public place?

A soccer match?

I'll drink to that! First round's on me!

Anyone that was at the semi-final match in Vancouver played at Swangard stadium last playoffs between Milwaukee and Vancouver can rationalize it as well! What with Milwaukees 10 men defense and securities goon offence, I'm amazed more people weren't intoxicated. Of course I left the match 10 minutes into the second half when I realized there wouldn't be any self control if I stayed!

It's good to know your limits. :rolleyes:

All I know is that I had a great time in Seattle - mildly drunk, wearing red and staying silent about the Sounders, while cheering loudly for the Nats. I look forward to returning on May 2.

Cheers, Roberto. I hope to see you crazies on May Day for the first leg. But it'll probably mean taking Thu and Fri off work. At least I can get cheap beers during thirsty Thu.

If I can get one in time, I'll be sporting the new Sounders scarf with the retro logo.

As always, we welcome Ron and any other Sounders supporters to join us at the Bitter End before any of the matches. Chances are you'll end up with a free beer or two is you come.

Where are you guys going to reside at Seahawks Stadium this year? I thought the view from the north end was quite good last week. Is the Pyramid going to be your pregame meeting place?

We're going to be in section 113, down toward the player's tunnel in the SE corner

As for pregame, since FX McRory's and Sluggers are going to be posting signage for the Sounders on matchday, I think it may be worth it to repay by having our prematch stuff over there. I should stop by those places and donate a scarf as well, maybe we can then get automatic happy hour prices on our prematch beers

At any rate, we should take a vote and get that figured out. I'll send something out on the mailing list this week...

You guys have to be pretty psyched to have a new environment - especially having had to suffer through the years at Memorial. Like I said, will be fun to open things up on May 2. If you find a pub with discounted beer I'll gladly stop on by.

sounds like a good atmosphere to me!

We might have forgiven them...If we'd won!

Cosmos-2 Sounders-1